Method of and apparatus for producing charcoal and by-products



3 HELLER June 12 METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING CHARCOAL AND BY-PRODUCTS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fileki Sept. 4, 1919 INVENTOR ldfiarrkg 226111921 Amnms' June 145mm I s. HILLER METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING CHARCOAL AND BY-PRODUCTS Filed Sept. 4, 1919 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEYB Patented I June 112, 19230 UNHTE STATES rear rranr cornice.

ETANLEY HELLER, 015 SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR TO PACIFIC BY- PEQDUGTS CUMPANY, OF SAN J 051E, CALIFORNIA, A. CORPORATION OF CALIFQENIA.

METHOD @ll Jhhl'l) APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING CHARCOAL AND BY-PJRUD'UCTS.

Application filed September 4, 1919. serial No. 321,555.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that l, STANLEY l-llnnnn, a citizen of the United States, residing at the city and county of San Francisco and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Methods of and A paratus for Producing Charcoal and Byroducts, of which the following is a specification.

It is the principal object of the present:

invention to provide a suitable apparatus and a desirable method of obtaining charcoal from nuts and shells and for recovering the by-products incident thereto.

lit has been found that shells and fruit pits may be satisfactorily used in producing a very high grade of charcoal and certain chemical by-products, which are quite desirable. In most of the processes heretofore employed, the work has been carried on in a small way and has not been a commercial success.

lit is the principal object of the present invention, therefore, to present an apparatus of large capacity, within which nuts and fruit pits may be continuously converted into charcoal and from which apparatus the chemical by-products may be readily recovered. lit is a further object of this invention to provide means whereby the gas developed during the reduction operation may be utilized as a fuel in carrying on the process and in developing heat within the apparatus.

The present invention is particularly concerned with rotary heating drum, in one end of which the raw material is fed and from the other, the finished product may be continuously extracted, at the same time allowing the by-products to be recovered or burned as fuel.

The invention is illustrated by way of @X ample in the accompanying drawings, in

which- Fig. 1 is a view inside elevation, showing a complete reduction plant with which the present process is carried out.

Fig. 2 is a view in section and. side elevation, showing another formof the apparatus. Referring more particularly to Fig. l, indicates arotary cylinder or drum, here shown as formed with two track bands 11 and 12.. These bands are adapted to rest on flanged sup orting rollers 13 carried by hearings 14L isposed upon base members 15 and 16. lit will be'noted that the base mom- I 'bers are of diflerent' heights, thus supporting the drum at an inclination and insuring that the material therein will gradually gravitate to the lower end thereot as the drum rotates. This rotation may be produced by any suitable motive power and is here shown as accomplished by a motor 17 connected with the shaft of one of the pulleys 13 by a train of gears 18.

The uppermost end of the drum is fitted with a movable head 19 which is provided with a truck 20 carried upon. an inclined runway 21. Formed upon the front of this head is an annular sleeve portion 22, which may telescope over the end of the drum when desired and will regulate the amount of air which. will be admitted to the drum and support combustion of fuel passing from a nozzle 23.' The nozzle 23 is supported centrally of the sleeve 22 and carried by the head. This nozzle may be of any construction and is preferably adapted to use the]. oil. A hopper 24 is formed asa part of the head and communicates with the drum 10 to convey the raw materialffrom a feed spout 25..

The opposite oi lower end of the drum is circumscribed by a due sleeve 26, within which the drum may freelyrotate and through which the products of combustion and gases produced by the charcoal will drawn through an exhaust fan 27.- This fan is in communication with a scrubbing apparatus v28, within which the gases are washed to remove all the wood tar products therefrom. The upper end of the scrubber is in connection with an outlet pipe 29 leading to a suitable condenser 30, within which the gases may be condensed to recover acetone, wood alcohol, acetic acid and like gases developed by the action of the heat upon the raw seeds or its.

onnected with thepipe 29 is a return pipe 31, which leads to the forward end of the drum and is there turned down to telescope within a sleeve 32. This'sleeve circumscribes the burner 23 and is of suficient dimensions to allow the exhaust gases to enter the drum 10 and unite with the burn= ing fuel. A movable sleeve-32 is mounted upon the 'pipe 31 and has perforations which may register with perforations in the pipe to regulate the pro ortion or oxyigen at ,mixing with the gas. T e air admitte the annular sleeve portion 22 has direct not Mill

relation to the zones defined by the line a in Fig. 1, in that as the pits are heated and the gas distilled, a large quantity of carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide gas is released. In this the flame ofthe burner cannot exist, and oxygen in a suflicient amount to overcome this gas will enable the flame 'to extend into the drum as far as this suroxygen or air to mix with the gas admitted to the burner. This provides a combustible fuel of the desired character and unless air is admitted at the said sleeve 32 for the burner the control of the line a: by the adjustment of the sleeve 22 will be affected. The burner 23 operates first as an oil burner in starting the fire and then the oil is cut ed and the gases delivered by the pipe 31are supplied to the lower end of the drum with air admitted at the openings of sleeve 32.

In the operation of the present invention, raw material is fed from the spout 25 to the hopper 24: and may be continuously delivered to the drum 10. This drum is, of course, in constant rotation and is being heated by the action of the flame projected from the nozzle 23. -During this operation, the gases are drawn from the o posite end of the drum through the fan 2 and may then be delivered through the pipe 31 to the head 19. When this takes place, the.

regulation of the sleeve 32' acts to control the flame and regulates the amount of oxygen entering the drum to support combustion. In this manner the depth of penetration of the flame may be' easily regulated. Assuming, therefore, that the flame only passes to a point approximately indicated by the dotted line a, it will be seen that the remainder of the furnace will be full of gases and that these gases will absorb the heat from the flame without becoming ignited. This will produce a smothered combustion of the raw material and reduce it to charcoal by the time it reaches the lower end of the drum. It may then pass out through an opening 33 onto a container or carried away as desired. lln the event that.

a conveyer 34, from which point it may be the chemical by-products are required, damper 35 may be operated to divert all or a part of the products of combustion through the condenser 30, within which the, gases wil be condensed and from which they may be drawn 0ft.

ference being-had to Fig. 2, it will be seen that thearrangement of the apparatus cient combustion is established, they will continuously burn as delivered to the upper end of the drum and will roll down thefloor of the drum as it rotates. During this rolling movement the pits will burn vigorously with a strong flame until they reach a line approximately indicated by the letter a, at which point the flame will cease and the glowing pits will then roll down and into the water spray of a sprinkling nozzle 40. This will tend to quench the fire and will cool the pits sufficiently to permit them to pass out from the drum and to a suitable cooling conveyer 34:. llt will be observed that in this apparatus, the pits are continuously reduced to charcoal by their own combustion and in practice it has been found that a small plant may be made, according to the showing in Fig. 2, and that such a plant will have a very high capacity with a remarkably small maintenance cost.

I It will thus be seen that by the present process, charcoal may be continuously produced in a commercially practicable manner and its by-products readily recovered by an apparatus which is simple in constructionand not liable to break down or require expert attention. .v

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is-- v 1. An apparatus for producing charcoal from fruit pits and shells, comprising an ,inclined rotary c linder having heads at its ends, a spout an hopper through which the shells are supplied into one endof the cylinder, a fuel nozzle at the same end of the cylinder as the spout and hopper, means for rotating the cylinder for causing the material to travel in the same, whereby the material is first passed through the flame from the nozzle and subsequently subjected to a non-flammable heat, means for controlling the oxygen admitted at the end of the cylinder at which the nozzle is arranged, and suction, scrubbing and condensing means connected with the drum.

2. An apparatus for producing charcoal from fruit pits, including an inclined rotary cylinder having a head, a spout and hopper through which the pits are through the head to the cylinder, a fuel nozzle extending centrally into the head, a suction apparatus to withdraw gases from the'cylinder, a scrubber connected with the suction apparatus, a condenser also connected with the same, a pipe connected with delivered ignited by the fuel nozzle 23 and after suflinaeenro from fruit pits and shells and to recover subsequently subjected to a charcoal form products separated therefrom, including an inclined rotary cylinder having a head, a feed spout and hopper through which the pits are delivered through the said head to the cylinder a nozzle burner projecting through the head for supplying fuel to start incineration of the pits, said pits being carried along the cylinder by the rotary movement thereof, whereby the saidpits are ing heat, a controlled inlet for air to supply oxygen for combustion, a suction draft connectedwith the cylinder, a scrubber and a condenser connected with the suction apparatus, a pipe connecting the suction apparatus with the cylinder, and a discharge passage for the escape of the charcoal from the lower end of the cylinder.

at. An apparatus of the class described, comprising a rotary drum, a head disposed in movable relation to one end of the drum,

a fuel burner carried by the head and adapted to project into the mouth of the drum, a.

fuel sleeve circumscribing the opposite end of 'the drum, means for continuously delivering raw material through the head ofthe drum, means for adjustably disposing the head with relation to the mouth out the drum whereby the proper proportion of oxygen supporting combustion therein may be regulated, suction means connected with the drum, and means for connecting the suction means with the cylinder.

5. An apparatus of the class described,

comprising a rotary drum, a head disposed in movable relation to one end of the drum a fuel burner carried by the head and adapted toproject into the mouth of the drum, a fuel sleeve circumscribing the opposite end of the drum, means for continuously delivering raw material through the head of the drum, means for adjustably disposing the head with relation to the mouth of the drum whereby the proportion lot oxygen supporting combustion therein may be regulated, and means for delivering the products of combustion to the head of the drum.

In testimony whereof I have he'reunte set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

v STANLEY HELLER,

Witnesses:

' W, W. H'ean'er,

M. E. Ewrne. 

